


Fallen

by TheNevemore



Series: Watching Over You [2]
Category: 2NE1, Beast (Band), Big Bang (Band), DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, EXO (Band), SHINee, VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, F/M, Fallen Angels, M/M, Multi, Redemption, Sequel, actual angel Daesung, and is related to the character death, big cast, evil maknaes, the violence warning comes later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 09:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5242481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNevemore/pseuds/TheNevemore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to In Heaven. When Daesung finishes training to be a seraphim general, he has to form his own elite unit of angels. The only problem is, the angels destined to be part of his task force are all fallen: not quite angels, not quite demons. So Daesung is forced to go on a journey to redeem the fallen angels - a journey that will introduce him to a new demon enemy more evil than he could ever have imagined. And just as Daesung is convinced that the situation could not become any more grave, Seunghyun's death date begins to draw near for the second time in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Their Happy State

 

The cheering crowds, the fireworks, the weight of a medal around his neck…. Daesung felt more than a little overwhelmed as he stood looking out over the gathered heavenly hosts. He cleared his throat and bowed first to the masses before turning to bow low to Chaerin and the other seraphim. He then turned towards the brilliant figure seated on a golden throne, who was smiling benevolently down at Daesung. The angel carefully moved to his knees and touched his forehead to the floor. Once sitting up on his knees yet again, Daesung firmly declared, “I, Kang Daesung, vow to uphold the laws of Heaven and strive to bring joy to all those placed in my care. I will not falter or fall, no matter the duty I am called upon to perform; I will bring about justice, order, and peace here and on Earth. The enemy will quake before me, and at the last day I will help to bind the darkness eternally in the pits of Hell, where it shall no longer be able to cause harm. I swear my fealty to the One Who Rules On High, and I pledge my soul to the Heavenly cause. If I fail to uphold these duties, I will forfeit my right to my wings else I bring shame to the seraphim and myself.” Daesung bowed his head once more. He felt just a little awkward making such a serious promise, and he felt it reflected in the nearly stumbling way he had uttered the words.

There was a sudden, deep hush. Every angel seemed to crane their neck for a better view as Daesung felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking up, the angel’s jaw fell slack as he stared up into brilliant dark eyes that seemed to hold countless galaxies in their depths. “Great things await you, Daesung.” The voice that met his ears felt like the sizzle of electricity in the air before a thunderstorm and sounded rich and low – as though the night were given a voice. “You will face many challenges as you strive to fulfill your oath, but you can overcome them. When you are doubt yourself, when you doubt the others, when you doubt me – remember. Remember what it felt like the first time you knew love. Remember the light you feel in your heart right now. Remember what you fight for.” The hand on his shoulder gave a light squeeze before moving away.

Stunned, Daesung sat motionless for several long moments. That had been entirely unexpected. Chaerin moved to stand in front of the blond and cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the heavenly hosts once more. “Rise, Kang Daesung, and take your rightful place among the seraphim generals.”

The blond carefully got to his feet and gazed openly at the leader of the seraphim. Her brilliant eyes, which were normally so guarded, contained reflections of the same surprising coursing through Daesung’s veins. Apparently the ceremony had not progressed in the usual fashion, and it had confounded even Chaerin. But, she was determined to get the situation back under control. “Now that you are a fully-fledged general, your next task will be to recruit those who will serve as your core unit. Listen carefully to your heart, Daesung, as it will guide you to them. Some may have other assignments, and some might not yet be among us. Regardless of their current position, you will know them. If they are among our hosts, you may extend them an offer to join your team. If they accept, they will be transferred to your unit. Good luck and God speed.” She smiled and added in an undertone, “I look forward to seeing who you choose. We’ve been anticipating your manifestation for a very long time.” She inclined her head slightly before turning to exit, her council trailing behind her.

_What did she mean by that?_ Daesung wondered.  _They've been waiting for me?_ Angels were so confusing. Letting out a slow breath, Daesung moved to greet the small gaggle that awaited him. Jong Kook immediately gathered the blond into a tight hug. “We are so proud of you,” he proclaimed, his brassy voice reverberating through Daesung’s ears. “Best general we’ve ever trained – hands down!”

Boa, who somehow got drug into the hug as well, offered Daesung her usual slightly sad smile. “Remember what we taught you about selecting your unit. The next few weeks will be critical to your success. If you have any questions or doubts, just ask us.” She was nothing if not the rock of reason to Jong Kook’s tempest of enthusiasm.

Daesung smiled gently down at the petite woman. “I’ll do my best,” he promised. “I’d hate to embarrass you both right out the gates.”

“Yeah,” Jong Kook teased. “Wait at least a decade to do that. Then at least we could say it was your fault instead of ours!”

Once Jong Kook had released him, Daesung turned to greet the ten other active generals (nearly being crushed by Taecyeon’s hug as well) before finding only three angels remaining to congratulate him. “If it ain’t the baby angel all grown up,” Youngbae drawled. The man gave his head a playful shake, as though he had never expected that day to come. “So proud of you, Daesung. So proud.” Clapping his hand on the blond’s shoulder, Youngbae gave it a tight squeeze.

“I personally can’t believe he finally managed to graduate,” Ji sighed. “I was starting to think he’d be held back forever.” But as Jiyong met Daesung’s gaze, the blond could see tears in the redhead’s eyes. There was even a tiny smile trembling on the edge of the man’s lips as he fought to keep his composure. Jiyong looked as though he had never been more proud in his entire life.

Quietly, Daesung wrapped an arm around Jiyong’s shoulders and drew him close. “You two are still coming over tonight, right? The party wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“How could I scornfully judge your sense of décor if I didn’t come?” Jiyong scoffed. As a newly minted general, Daesung had been given a new residence – one four times the size of his previous home in the trainee village, and all Jiyong had heard about for months was about how Daesung wanted to decorate the place and how amazing it was and how Jiyong would want to move in. It had gotten a bit ridiculous, but Jiyong secretly loved it. After more than thirty mortal years as a trainee, Daesung deserved some happiness. “Honestly. What kind of friend do you take me for?”

“Though, we were wondering if we could bring someone with us,” Youngbae added.

Daesung tipped his head to a curious degree. “Oh? Who’d you want to bring?”

“Remember how I told you, way back in the day, that I’d eventually introduce you to your guardian angel, Daesung?” Jiyong motioned to the other man – who Daesung had not really paid any attention to – standing just a few steps away. The unfamiliar brunette flashed Daesung a wide, nervous smile and bobbed a quick bow. “This is him. Kang Daesung, meet Kang Suho. Your guardian angel.”

The other angel nearly seemed to vibrate with excitement as he took Daesung’s hand and bowed. “I am so excited to finally meet you,” the brunette declared with a wide, toothy smile. The way he was acting made Daesung feel just a bit like a celebrity, which was discombobulating to say the least.

But, Daesung laughed brightly. “I can honestly say the same thing! Thank you for taking such good care of me.” The man hesitated, taking a closer look at the other angel. Suho seemed familiar. “You were at the hearing! You sat in the front row – I remember you!”

Suho’s head bobbed up and down in a rapid, nearly frantic nod. “I was! I can’t believe you remember me. I mean, that was so long ago and I was just a face in the crowd!” Suho giggled and even gave a happy little wiggle.

“I must’ve known subconsciously that you were special to me,” Daesung said, winking at Suho.

Jiyong muttered, “More than you know.” He shared a look with Youngbae. “Hey, Daesung, we’ve got some errands to run before your big shindig tonight. Can Suho tag along with you? You can get to know each other better before the party and whatnot. He can also help you prepare anything you need, right?” Suho gave another of his enthusiastic nods.

The blond angel grinned at Suho, his eyes turning into delicately arched crescents. “That’d be fine by me,” he laughed. “I’d love to talk to you more.”

As the angels walked towards Daesung’s new home – Suho did not have wings – the pair talked about the blond’s life. Daesung was surprised when Suho explained that he had nearly died not long after Seunghyun had cheated on him, and that if he had died at that time it was very likely he would have become a demon. Thankfully, though, Suho had been able to defeat the demon he had been battling for Daesung’s soul, and Death had opted to give the blond extra time on Earth. (It seemed that the death date had some flexibility to it, but trainees were not told about such things. A trainee who thought the date might get pushed back was less likely to give their full attention to the battle against evil.) “You must have worked really hard,” Daesung murmured. “I remember what that time of my life was like. It was so dark. And awful. There were so many mornings I just didn’t want to get out of bed.”

“I know,” Suho replied gently. “I spent as much time as I could offering you what comfort I could when you were like that. In fact, I was convinced your mattress was going to form an indent my size because I was there so much.” His lips pulled up into a bright smile, yet again causing Daesung to laugh.

“Maybe it did and I just never noticed!” He wrinkled his nose at the brunette. “So what is it you do now that you’re no longer keeping my nose out of trouble?”

Suho gave another happy wriggle. “I work in the best department ever,” he declared. “I get to answer children’s prayers.”

Daesung’s eyebrows arched. “That’s a department? Skies, that must be so much fun. What’s been your favorite prayer you’ve ever answered?”

The brunette’s face fell into an intensely thoughtful expression that involved furrowed brows and pouting lips. “Probably when a little girl prayed that her dad would be home for Christmas. He was serving in one of the wars, and I was able to coordinate things for him to get leave. It took a lot of work – the military can be so difficult – but the look on her face when he walked through the door – oh! It was so perfect. I could have watched that moment on replay for a hundred years and not get tired of it.”

“That really does sound amazing.” Daesung ducked his head a little. “I wonder if you ever get to answer prayers for people you knew when you were alive. Or, rather, their kids. Did you?” Since Suho had been a trainee when Daesung was alive, he figured the man was more recently mortal than other angels – like Taecyeon, who was over a thousand years deceased.

But something about Suho’s expression became strange. He was smiling, certainly, but there was a wistfulness to the motion that seemed out of place. “I never actually met anyone on Earth.”

Daesung’s head snapped towards him. “What? How’s that possible?”

The brunette’s steps slowed, and he turned towards Daesung. A dancing little shrug skittered across his shoulders as he ducked his head – staring intently at Daesung’s shoes. “I was stillborn.”

Eyes growing wide, Daesung struggled to find the right words. He had not even considered that some of the angels had not even really lived to maturity. It made him wonder if there were angels who had gone from being infants to fully-fledged adults. Which, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that must have been exactly what had happened to Suho. “Oh. Wow.” He rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. “I mean, in a way that’s really cool. I mean, you missed out on so many bad things.”

“But I also missed out on a lot of good things, too,” Suho murmured, his voice strangely soft. “Like… I always wanted to play with my older brother and sister. I’d watch them from here, and everything in my whole being wanted to be with them – forever and ever and always.”

Carefully, Daesung wrapped his arms around Suho and pulled him into a hug. The poor kid looked so lonely, standing there with his head hung low. “I’m sure your brother and sister, when they get here, will want nothing more than to spend time with you. I mean, you seem like an amazing guy. And they’re your family.” Daesung gave the brunette a reassuring smile before continuing to walk down the road, his arm slipping from the younger man's shoulders.

As they continued walking, Suho seemed to be wrestling with whether or not to speak. He kept biting his lip, taking a breath, and then flapping his hands in annoyance as he lost his nerve. Daesung, though, was happily oblivious as he admired the beautiful architecture and plant life that lined the street. Well, until Suho suddenly blurted out, “Daesung, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Frown furrowing his brow, Daesung turned towards Suho and gave him a concerned look. “Okay.” He tipped his head slightly, just to signal that he was listening intently. “What is it?”

Suho drew in a slow, steadying breath. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this since, well, since the moment I saw you, honestly. But no matter how hard I tried, the words kept getting stuck – like I just didn’t know how to get it out clearly, you know? Because, I mean, I didn’t know how you’d take it, and I would hate to miss out on the chance to be closer to you. But, at the same time, I think I need to be honest with you.” As the brunette angel rambled, Daesung’s eyes went wide. Was Suho about to confess to him? Of all the things to happen, that was certainly not what he had expected. He had Seunghyun, even if the man was married. The thought of accepting a confession – or even just dating – seemed utterly alien. But then Suho said the one thing Daesung had not expected: “I’m your brother.”

A wrinkle wormed its way between Daesung’s brows as he gazed down at Suho. “Kang Suho,” he breathed. “You – it’s you? We lost you?” He could only barely remember his mother telling him that he was going to be an older brother – he had only been three at the time – but then feeling the heartbreak when they had to attend the funeral for his littlest sibling. They had never even met, but staring into Suho’s eyes made it seem like they had always known each other, like their souls were made from similar stuff. At Suho’s tiny nod, Daesung crushed the brunette against his chest in a tight hug. “I have a brother... Skies, you are my brother,” Daesung breathed.

Suho melted into Daesung’s embrace, sobbing into the soft material of his shirt. The pair stood like that for several long moments – simply clinging to one another – before Suho finally pulled back a little. “You can’t know how much I wanted to tell you,” he hiccupped. “But Jong Kook thought it best to not interrupt your training. He knew I’d be a distraction, and I was happy to wait. And I didn't want anyone else to tell you, because I wanted to tell you myself. But I’m so, so, so glad that I can finally talk to you.”

“We’ll make up for lost time,” Daesung promised. “I mean, I’ll be here all eternity. I’m not going anywhere. And when he comes, I can introduce you to Seunghyun. And Ji-Hyo and Junsu and Mom and Dad and… everyone. They’ll be so glad to know that we never really lost you; that you’ve just been waiting for them.”

Suho gave a waterlogged laugh. “You’re the best brother ever,” he declared. And, with that, he buried himself in Daesung’s embrace once more. Having a family was even better than Suho could have ever imagined.

A ripple of awareness spread through his body, making the hairs along his arms stand on end. It was as though even the slightest touch had become nauseatingly overwhelming – too much sensation for his brain to process – and it forced him to pull away from Suho. Gasping, he shuddered and lifted a hand to clutch at the fabric covering his chest. It felt as though someone had taken six threads and looped them around the bottom rung of his ribcage – tying off the other ends somewhere far away. Everything in his being screamed that he needed to run – to flee, to fly, to _go_ – towards whatever waited on the other end of the line, but he felt locked in place. Had he been breathing, Daesung would have begun to pant at the feeling of his lungs seemingly becoming numb with panic. Each second that passed made the sensation stronger, and a sweat broke out across his brow – clammy and damp. Shuddering, he took a single step towards the source of the pull, and the feeling lessened for a brief moment. But then, like a wave, it crashed back through his body with redoubled force.

“Daesung? Are you alright?” Suho asked, his face pulled into an expression of innocent bemusement.

The blond barely managed to shake his head before taking another step forward. “I – ugh – I have to go.” Suho reached out, trying to place a hand on his brother’s arm. With a slight hiss, Daesung pulled away. “No, please… please don’t.” His face contorted once more as the tug seemed to try to rip out his ribs. “I feel like I’m pulled to pieces.”

Suho hesitated before beginning to follow Daesung, who was walking quickly towards the Gates of Heaven. “Daesung, what about your party?”

He gave his head a jerky shake. “I have to go. I – I have to go,” the blond repeated. “I can feel them. Pulling me.”

His younger brother gasped softly. “Your unit?” He clapped his hands together, seemingly unaware of his sibling’s anguish. “Let me go with you, Daesung. Maybe we can make it back for the party, if we’re fast.” He grinned. “I mean, if you’re feeling them this strongly, they must be close by!”

Daesung hesitated for only a moment before nodded. “Alright. But get on my back. It’ll be a lot faster if we fly.” Stretching out his wings, he crouched slightly and allowed Suho to climb on – just repressing a shudder at the feeling of a warm body against his. “Hold tight.” And then, they were speeding recklessly through the air.

In a way, the blond was right: They did not have difficulty finding the source of the pull. But, the locus was not as close as Daesung had assumed. Daesung had flown them all the way to the Gates of Heaven before realizing that the pulling had a distinct downward motion. His target was on Earth – perhaps even completing a mission of some kind. Hesitating only a moment, Daesung focused on the feeling of being drawn towards the other end of the line and felt the air shift around him. Suho gasped softly and slid down to the ground. When Daesung opened his eyes, he felt a wave of nervousness sweep through his body. He did not know what he had been expecting to find, but this was certainly not it.

They had been transported to an alleyway – graffiti on the walls, the thick smell of beer, and the distinct give of rotten mire beneath the boot all serving to reveal the squalor of the location. But that was not what surprised Daesung; he had been in many an alleyway during his existence. Instead, his gaze was caught on the figures standing in the mouth of the alley, their features lit by the hesitant flicker of neon lights. Six people: two women and four men. And Daesung  _knew_ they were his. There was just one problem.

They were fallen.

One of the men – his inky hair slicked back – turned to share a look with the strawberry blond woman beside him. “Angels,” he spat out. She jerked her chin in agreement before turning her nearly arctic gaze back towards Daesung and Suho.

“Filthy sheep,” a tall, thin man with blue hair agreed, his grip on his quarterstaff adjusting as he considered dispatching the pair immediately.

The other woman, whose hair was a pure black that faded out to white at the ends, scoffed. “What, did you boys get lost?” she called, bracing a hand on her hip.

Daesung placed a hand lightly on Suho’s shoulder – stopping the words he knew the upset young man was about to unleash – before stepping forward. “We’re not lost,” he said easily. “But you’re right. We’re angels. I’m Daesung and this is Suho.”

The blue-haired man rolled his eyes. “Can I kill them, Key?” At his side, a man with silver hair shared a covert smirk with the man beside him, whose hair was the color of blood. They both seemed entertained by the thought of their companion sending the angels into oblivion.

“My name is Daesung,” the blond continued once again, his voice firm. “I am a seraphim general, and you….you are my unit.”


	2. But O How Fall'n!

 

The moment Daesung announced why he was there, the fallen angels gave several different reactions: laughter, scoffs of disbelief, and even a growl of rage from one of them. On the rare occasions the seraphim had imagined meeting a member of his unit, he had never thought any of those elements would be part of it – unless there was a laugh of joy at having been chosen. Jong Kook had emphasized again and again that any angel would be ecstatic to be a part of Daesung’s unit; there was no greater honor than being part of a general’s closest advisors. But, apparently fallen were not like the other angels: They did not seem delighted to have been chosen. In fact, judging by the sharpness of their gazes, they were all either angry or offended.

“Daesung,” Suho murmured, “we should go.”

Glancing down at the brunette, Daesung was struck by how nervous his brother appeared now that the first rush of anger had passed. Suho seemed almost curled in on himself – arms wrapped firmly around his waist – and his dark eyes were opened wider than normal; even his breathing was a bit shallow. “Suho, it’s fine. They won’t hurt us.”

“Oh, won’t we?” the dark-haired woman snapped, her large eyes narrowing. “We have no allegiance to the angels – I'll hurt you if I want to.”

Daesung met her gaze, not even flinching at the burning rage found there. “You won’t hurt us,” he repeated, his voice gentle but firm.

“Daesung, it's illegal for angels to speak with the Fallen,” Suho breathed. “We could get dismissed from Heaven for this.”

The man with black hair – Key, they called him – scoffed. “Yes, run back to your precious cage,” he purred, feline eyes narrowing. “Abase yourself like the weaklings that you are.”

“Do you suppose,” the blue-haired man asked, “they’ve spread rumors about what we do to little angels that get lost?”

Key glanced over at the other man from the corner of his eyes. “Rumors like what, Tao?”

“Oh, that we feast on the flesh of angels or that we drink their blood,” Tao mused. Suho began to tremble and pressed closer to Daesung’s side as Tao teasingly ran his tongue along his bottom lip.

The redhead smirk, teeth bright against his bronze skin, and added, “I’ve always been curious what angel tastes like. Do you suppose eating them would give us their strength?” His bright, nearly brassy voice seemed odd in contrast to his bloodthirsty words.

“I bet the little one would be sweet,” Tao laughed, “don’t you think, N?” The redhead – N – nodded in agreement.

Before the Fallen could continue, Daesung took a measured step forward. “I never would have thought the fallen angels would stoop to the point of teasing an innocent angel. I expected more finesse.” That got them to stop – Tao even gaping at the blond in surprise. “Every time I heard other angels speak of the Fallen, they made it sound as though you were mighty warriors – dark creatures who would charge into Hell itself if the mood struck them. But I just see a pack of whining children.”

The rat in the alley could barely let out a squeak before the woman with black hair had her hand wrapped firmly around Daesung’s throat. She rose onto her toes – heels leaving the cement – in order to glare up into his eyes. “What did you say?”

“Bom, let him go.” Key brushed his inky fringe out of his eyes.

Her grip tightened for a moment before she suddenly released Daesung like he were refuse that dirtied her with a mere touch. “Get lost, angel,” she growled. “Next time, Key won’t stop me.”

Rather than back away, Daesung leaned down and held her gaze. “No.”

Suho tugged on Daesung’s sleeve. “Please, Daesung. We need to go. It really is illegal.”

Glancing over his shoulder, the blond smiled a little. “Suho, why don’t you head to my house and make sure everything’s all set? I promise, I will be only a few minutes behind you.”

The brunette hesitated before giving a jerky nod. “If you’re not there in ten minutes, I’ll tell Jong Kook,” he warned.

“I understand. I will be along as quickly as I can.” Daesung gave his brother an encouraging nod. Suho hesitated only a moment more before vanishing. With the other angel gone, Daesung was truly alone among the hostile Fallen.

The silver-haired man sauntered over and began to circle Daesung. “Seraphim generals certainly aren’t what they used to be,” he mused.

Key snorted. “Not that they were ever much,” the man added coldly.

“Just a bunch of power hungry children,” Bom agreed.

Daesung took a slow breath, just to help him repress the urge to become frustrated with the situation. “You know, typically, when people meet they introduce themselves,” he said, his tone light. It felt like dealing with a pack of Seunghyuns – back from their early days when the man carried the world’s largest chip of ice on his shoulder. Daesung’s lips twitched, just a little. Thinking of them in that context – that they were like his Seunghyun – made his temper settle immediately; he could handle this situation, and he knew it.

Bom scoffed. “Why would we want to introduce ourselves to you? I told you, the next time I see you I’ll tear you apart.”

Drawing his lips into a thin line, Daesung seemed to consider that information as he nodded. “I see. Well, then I would like to know who it is that will be murdering me in the near future.” His dark eyes glittered with the laughter he knew he could not let slip lose. The Fallen didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor – not really.

“And what is it you so desperately want to know, angel?” Key wrapped an arm around Tao’s shoulders and leaned into the seemingly younger man.

Daesung shrugged. “Who you are.”

“That’s a can of worms,” N practically giggled. “That probably wasn’t the right question, mm?” He hopped up to sit on top of a tall crate, crossing his legs and smirking down at Daesung.

The blond raised an eyebrow up at him. “No, that is precisely the question I want answered. You are my unit, and I need to know who you are.”

There was a stifling silence. Six pairs of eyes locked on the angel, and he almost began to squirm under the pure antagonism held in those gazes. It was clear by the tension coiling their muscles tight and the way each of their jaws set that the Fallen wanted nothing to do with Daesung. Even the formerly giggly N had his features set in a stony expression of mistrust. Dae imagined they would be happier tearing each feather from his wings rather than sharing personal details with him. “Suzy.” Daesung’s gaze snapped to the heretofore silent woman in the group – the strawberry blond – as she spoke. “My name is Suzy. And I was part of the Eighth before I fell.”

Daesung smiled a little at her. “It’s nice to meet you, Suzy. I’m Daesung.” She did not so much as nod to acknowledge his greeting, but something in her eyes seemed a touch softer than they had been before. It now looked like the Fallen would only leave him bloodied in an alley instead of just tearing his head off; progress.

Bom was aghast. She whirled and stalked over to stand back at the mouth of the alley. She could not believe that the other angel had deigned to speak to the seraphim; her ire at the perceived betrayal nearly made the woman quiver with outrage. But, before she could stomp any further away, the seeming leader introduced himself, “Key: Well, I suppose I was known as Kibum before I fell.” He rolled his eyes a little. “And I was in the Second, serving under that meathead Taecyeon.”

Daesung’s eyebrows lifted. “You were in the Second?”

“Yes,” Key drawled. “I helped during the mission to end World War II. Even received an award for my valor in service.” He snorted. “Lot of good that did, though.”

That genuinely surprised the blond. He had imagined that Fallen had always been on the outskirts of angelic society – like Jiyong had – before ultimately taking that extra step towards degeneration. But Key blew that perception out of the water. The Second was the most prestigious legion outside of the special task force that guarded the throne itself. “Wow.”

“What,” Tao drawled, “did you think we were all debauched?” He scoffed. “Typical angel pride. Thinking nobody who followed all their rules could ever fall.”

“I am surprised,” Daesung admitted. “But, then again, I don’t know much about Fallen. It wasn’t part of my training.”

“Oh, I bet it wasn’t,” Tao griped. “They like to pretend we don’t exist. Just because we don’t follow their god, they treat us as though we are worthless.”

Daesung stepped forward – holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “If you give me the chance, I would like to learn. I’m a willing listener.”

The blue-haired man narrowed his eyes, as though he were weighting the seraphim carefully, before saying, “My name is Tao.” He held his chin up a little, as though daring Daesung to make fun of him for some reason. “And I turned my back on your god before I was given a rank.”

“Tao’s also our old man,” N added happily. “You’d never guess it looking at his baby face, but he’s the oldest among us!”

Tao made as though he were going to hit N with his staff, which only made N laugh more. “Well, it is true,” Key said, wry amusement hiding in his words. “Tao died in the fourteenth century; he’s more than two hundred years older than the rest of us.”

Daesung blinked slowly. It was so easy to forget that angels could be thousands of years old; they all looked like they were in their prime. “Wow.” He blinked. “I only died thirty years ago.”

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow. “So young and already a general?” He moved to lean against the wall. “They must be desperate.”

“That’s Junhyung,” N provided, swinging his feet a little. “And I’m N. He was from the Sixth, and I was from the Fourth.”   

Daesung hesitated. “The Fourth? I thought they’d been disbanded.”

Something in N’s expression closed off. “Yes. But when I was in Heaven, they were still active. They disbanded in the years since I left.”

Daesung considered the redhead thoughtfully for a moment – his dark gaze bright with curiosity. But, Daesung knew better than to ask what had broken the Fourth Legion apart: The look on N’s face said it would earn him a very painful, physical answer. “I see,” he said simply, choosing to acknowledge the statement while trying to avoid making the situation any more tense than it already was.

Junhyung tipped his head back a little to look up at Daesung. “Now you know everyone. Woo.” He rolled his eyes before pulling a back of cards out of his pocket and thoughtlessly shuffling them with evident skill.

“Not everyone,” Daesung corrected. He nodded back to where the woman stood at the mouth of the alley.

A sardonic smile turned Key’s lips. “What, you want to know who plans to kill you?”

“Already told you I did,” Daesung reminded him. He threw in a wink, just because he felt the need to be extra cheeky in that moment.

“Bom.” Daesung looked towards the woman at the end of the alleyway once more. She had turned slightly, just enough that she could look over her shoulder at him. “My name is Bom. I’ll be sure to carve it on your corpse and drop you off at the Gates of Heaven, next time we meet.”

Daesung swept a playful bow, thought he did not bare the back of his neck to the Fallen. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bom. Truly, you are the epitome of charm.” She did not seem impressed, judging by the way she sharply turned away.

Suzy took a slight step forward. “I don’t understand you,” she announced, her voice gentle. “That other angel – the scared kid – wasn’t lying when he said you could be kicked out of Heaven for talking to us.”

Key nodded from where he stood still slung around Tao’s shoulders. “Then you really would be part of the squad,” he teased. “Or, is that how you intend to join us?” He smirked.

Daesung calmly met Key’s gaze and held it, not blinking as he stared the man down. Key’s left eye twitched slightly as he took in the dark warmth of Daesung’s gaze – it was too similar to one he had not seen in more than three hundred years – and soon looked away. The man pushed off of Tao’s shoulder and stalked away, moving to lean against the brick wall near Bom. Satisfied the other man would not interrupt him further, Daesung turned his attention back to Suzy. “I don’t pretend to understand why I am drawn to the six of you,” he said frankly. Key and Bom exchanged derisive looks from where they stood; angels were nothing more than pretty words. “Nothing in my training prepared me for this possibility. Honestly, the way Jong Kook explained things made it sound like every special unit had been formed from already extant angels – not even drawing from those who have not died yet. He certainly didn’t mention anything about Fallen or the laws governing interaction with you.” The seraphim hesitated. “But I also don’t think any of that matters. I am certain you six are who I was supposed to find, and I trust that. I trust you – each of you – even if you don’t trust me yet.” Daesung smiled softly at them, taking the chance to look towards each of them. Junhyung stopped shuffling cards when their gazes met, and N shifted uncomfortably when Daesung looked his way. “I just hope you’ll give me a chance to get to know you better, and that hopefully something good can come from this. Please take good care of me.” And then the seraphim folded into a proper ninety degree bow, his wings tucked in tightly against his back.


	3. Farewell Hope

 

Daesung had left almost immediately after he had bowed to the Fallen, but they remained with him, hovering at the edge of his thoughts.

“The thing about hope,” Key had mused, “is that it is the nightmare we all are afraid to wake up from. We convince ourselves that it is what we want, just so the sensation of being out of control – of being nothing more than a pitiful little toy – is that much easier to stomach.” He turned his sharp, feline gaze on Daesung. A cold, hard little smirk twisted his lips upwards at the edges. “I woke up. We all did.”

There was something about the finality of Key’s tone that had stuck with Daesung, even days later. He had sought out the fallen angel’s company a week after the party – well, no. That was not quite true. He had gone in search of the group of Fallen, assuming they would be together, when he had found himself drawn specifically to talk to Key. The blond angel supposed it had something to do with the fact that Key was their leader; if he could win Key over, perhaps the others would follow. But, there was something hidden in Key’s words that made Daesung believe that his task would not be nearly so easy. It was easy to redeem someone as long as they had hope – it was the first rule – but someone who thought that hope was a lie… That was even worse than someone who was completely caught in despair; at least someone despairing of redemption believed that hope existed for other people. How could he help the Fallen, who had given up on their faith so completely?

Walking the empty streets of Seoul helped Daesung’s mind: always had. There was something about the familiar bite of the winter air and the faint crunch of snow under foot that encouraged his mind to unwind his problems rather than chase them in an endless circle. But, no matter how much he walked it seemed like answers were not to be found. A part of him wondered if it were worth it; he could pick any angels he wanted, so why did he need these ones? They were stubborn and angry and hurt and … and they needed Daesung. He sighed. And he needed them. He knew that – could feel it down in the very marrow of his soul – but that did not make it any easier.

“One day,” Key had continued, his voice almost mesmerizing in the way it lilted through the possibility presented by his words, “you’re going to wake up, little angel. And when you do, you’ll understand.”

Angels were not immune to doubt. If anything, they were more vulnerable to it because they constantly faced the suffering and anguish that haunted the underbelly of humanity. Centuries of seeing despair, hatred, murder, and torment were enough to tarnish even the brightest of souls, and it was not altogether uncommon for angels to request transfers to less harrowing work. There had even been times during his training that Daesung had considered how much easier it would be to hide from the obligations that weighted his shoulders down. But, he had always fought against those urges. He knew that despair was a tool of the enemy, and the blond was not inclined to let such a wasteful emotion eat away at him. Daesung had too much work to do to pander to the doubt that would always haunt the echoing mazes of his mind.

Stopping short, Daesung tipped his head back to look up at the distant sky. He could not see any of the stars – the light pollution was too intense – but there was still something comforting about the gesture, as though he were looking beyond the sky and stars to instead gaze up at Heaven itself. And then a thought occurred to him: What had he done when he’d been alive and didn’t know about something? The simple answer was that he would ask people he trusted, if it were something really important, but for something small… His lips twitched. It would be a start.

Walking into the angelic library was nothing short of intimidating. Every event that had ever happened and would ever happen was recorded somewhere in the wide cavern of books, scrolls, and sheaves of paper. Daesung literally had no idea where to start; it was more than his mind could ever hope to process. He had come to the library because angels lacked a search engine – something about the desire to keep knowledge kinesthetically present – and so the only way to research the Fallen was to come in person. “Easier said than done,” Daesung muttered under his breath.

As he gazed around with wide eyes, an angel carrying what appeared to be a stone tablet stopped short. One of his eyebrows arched over the thick horn-rimmed glasses he was wearing, and the tablet was smoothly tucked under his arm. “Can I help you?” he asked, stepping towards Daesung.

The blond blinked out of his stupor and looked over at the other angel with a sheepish smile on his full lips. “I came looking for some information,” he admitted.

A wide, teeth-baring smile slid onto the unfamiliar angel’s lips. “Well, you’ve come to the right place,” he teased lightly. “My name is WooYoung. I’m one of the elder librarians, and I would be happy to help you find whatever you need.”

Daesung bowed to the angel before saying, “Thank you so much. I’m Daesung-“

“I know.” Daesung stopped short to gape at WooYoung. “The new general, right? I was at the event. And I know Taecyeon.”

Ducking his head, Daesung rubbed at the back of his neck. “Oh. Right. I forget everyone went to that.” He cleared his throat and attempted to ignore the blush dusting his cheeks. “Um, well, I’m looking for information. On the Fallen.”

WooYoung went a bit still at that, even the pretense of breathing dropping for a moment. “The Fallen?” Reaching up, the brunette angel pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “Well, that’s not a topic we get asked about every day.”

Daesung shrugged. “It’s pertinent to my duties as a general,” he explained simply. Often, it seemed that particular phrase was something of a magic key: Angels had a tendency to not ask too many questions when it came to official business. But, WooYoung was not a typical angel. He had seen the rise and fall of so many mortal kingdoms that power and status meant next to nothing to him.

“What precisely is it you want to know?” WooYoung asked, watching the other angel carefully. “That information is restricted, even among the seraphim. For obvious reasons.”

Obvious reasons? Daesung hesitated. Just what were the Fallen that they were considered so dangerous? Suho had acted as though Key and his compatriots were somehow more dangerous than the demons, and that struck Daesung as a bit ridiculous. They were just misguided angels, weren’t they? Shaking himself out of his thoughts, the blond flashed WooYoung a small smile. “I need to understand how they came to be. I have reason to suspect that I will be working closely with them in the future.”

WooYoung tried to mask his surprise, but his expressive features were his undoing. As his eyes went wide, the angel took another step closer. “Working with the Fallen?” he murmured under his breath. He hesitated, shifting his weight from foot to foot, before nodding a little. “Alright. But, when Chaerin comes after you for associating with the Fallen, I had nothing to do with this. Understood?”

Daesung nodded slowly and murmured, “Alright.”

“Excellent.” WooYoung passed the stone tablet off to another angel before clapping his hands together. “To the restricted section we go!” His wings appeared in a rustle of feathers, and Daesung felt his breath catch at the sight of them. The seraphim had become very used to wings – almost all of his close associates had them – but WooYoung’s were unlike any he had ever seen. Rather than the leather or feathers most seraphim had, the angelic librarian had wings that seemed to be made of paper. And there, scrawled over each individual feather, were neatly inked characters that appeared to be a form of hangul Daesung did not recognize. By the looks of it, though, the writing was old – it had the faded coffee look of ink that had been set into the page years ago – and the papered edges were curled and yellowed with age. Catching where Daesung’s gaze had settled, WooYoung smirked a little, clearly preening at the admiration on the other angel’s face. “We librarians have unique wings,” he said, unable to fight the need to impart knowledge to the younger angel. “We generally only die during significant historical events, and our wings carry the story of whatever event was taking place at our death.”

“Really?” Daesung gaped as though he were a child witnessing a dinosaur skeleton in a museum for the first time. “That is so amazing. What event is on your wings?”

Standing a little taller, WooYoung ran a finger along the edge of one wing. “The uniting of the three kingdoms in ancient Korea. From 936 A.D. I was a soldier in the army fighting for the Goryeo dynasty. In fact, I died in the last battle.” He shrugged loosely, as though to dismiss the event, but Daesung could tell by the glimmer in his eye that the angel was proud of his heritage. “I’m the only archival angel to have come from that particular event.”

“I didn’t know anything about archival angels,” Daesung admitted, “but that is so amazing. Sometime I would love to hear about your life – maybe we could get lunch together sometime and talk.”

Wooyoung chuckled. “I’d like that. Taecyeon has told me a lot about you; I’m admittedly interested in hearing your story too.”

The blond snorted. “Oh Taecyeon… He makes me sound way more interesting than I really am – promise. I was literally the most normal person on the face of the planet. The most exciting thing about me was Seunghyun.”

At that, a knowing little smirk turned WooYoung’s lips. “Nobody who is just average becomes a general, Daesung. Maybe you can’t see it yet, but one day you’ll understand how special you are.” Spreading his wings, WooYoung laughed. “But come on. Let’s go find you that information you came in here for. We can talk life stories another time.”

When the pair landed in the restricted section, Daesung was struck by how different it appeared. The regular library was all warm wood and bright light, but up here it was as though even the design hinted at the menace contained within the various books. Dark wood and flickering light cast many of the tomes into shadows, and he could not see a single window in the alcove; the only entrance was a single archway that could only be reached by wing. The two seraphim standing on either side of the entry gave them a cursory glance before returning their gaze to the library at large – Daesung and WooYoung apparently did not merit removal. As the pair walked into the aisles of books, Daesung took the chance to look around with open curiosity. “I never would have imagined a place this, well, dark would exist in Heaven,” he admitted in a whisper. Something about the dangerous books with their forbidden content seemed to merit speaking in hushed tones.

But, WooYoung apparently did not think so. He laughed deeply, tossing his head back with the motion. “There is nothing innately wrong with darkness or shadow, Daesung. Human myths have made it that way, not facts. We just let these books rest in darkness because it lets their secrets remain more at peace. Just like the light, the dark has its purpose – God made them both.”

Daesung blinked. “That’s…a really logical way to think about it.”

“I’m a librarian. We think about those kinds of things,” WooYoung said with another bright laugh. “It’s part of what makes us so good at our jobs: We don’t think about things like other angels do. I think we exist to be curious, to think through the issues no one else bothers with.” He shrugged. “It’s why we’re counselors.”

The blond tucked his hands into his pockets as he trailed along behind WooYoung, mulling that over. “Makes sense,” he said finally. “Knowledge is very powerful, but truth doesn’t really take sides. That kind of insight can be invaluable.”

“Which is why you came to the library,” WooYoung agreed. “You want the facts instead of whatever myths those silly seraphs are spreading this week. Honestly, they’re worse than a bunch of grannies with how they spread gossip.” The brunette shook his head, tutting as though he were a disappointed parent. “I don’t even know where half of them get their information from. Just yesterday I heard an angel claiming that Fallen drink angel blood to steal our strength. What kind of nonsense is that?”

Daesung blushed. He knew precisely who that information had to have come from. “Oh Suho,” he mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?” WooYoung glanced over his shoulder at Daesung.

“Nothing.” The angel flashed a sheepish smile. “Do you know much about the Fallen, then?”

WooYoung hesitated before inclining his head a little. “More than most. I know about the different units of Fallen – there are at least seventy of them. I even knew some of them before they fell.”

That caught Daesung by surprise. He, quite naively, had assumed that his six were the only Fallen, but seventy different units… Those numbers were rather mind boggling. “Wow. Well, I guess then I’m looking to learn about Fallen in general – the facts about how they come to be and what we know about them. But… I do have some specific ones I’m interested in. Maybe you know them?”

Turning down a particular aisle, WooYoung waved his hand over a lamp, lighting it instantly. “I might. Who are they?”

“Suzy, N, Junhyung, Bom, Tao, and Key – well, Kibum.” The archival angel turned to give Daesung a flat look. “What?”

“I know them,” WooYoung said simply. “Well, Tao I know of. Nobody but his trainer really got to know him. Technically, as a general you have access to the angelic file system. You could read up on how they died and stuff like that on the network.”

“There’s a network?” Daesung ran a hand through his hair. “…Of course there’s a network. Maybe you could tell me more about that later?”

WooYoung nodded. “Sure. And I can tell you about your miscreants sometime, too. Though Taecyeon could tell you just as much. He and Kibum used to be really close, since they served together. He also made moon eyes at Suzy, when she first arrived. And Amber was friends with N.” The angel began to scan the shelves even as Daesung reeled with the information WooYoung had so casually dropped into the conversation. He forgot time and again just how well-connected his little Fallen were and that they had had lives before he had died. It was disconcerting to realize how little he knew about Heaven, angels, and being a seraphim, even after all his training. “So, you want basic information on the Fallen… Let’s see. Well, I mean, their creation is actually pretty simple."

“I feel like such a kid,” Daesung admitted. “There’s just so much I don’t know that seems to be common knowledge.”

WooYoung snorted. “We all have to start somewhere, Daesung. And hey, at least you’re trying to fix it!” He winked at the blond before pulling out a couple of books. “Right, so Fallen is the term used for angels who have lost their faith. It’s actually rather straightforward. They’re either kicked out for committing some crime – that’s rare though – or they make an official declaration of having lost their desire to be part of the Heavenly Hosts. When that happens they –“

“-Fall,” an unfamiliar voice said from the other side of the bookcase.

The archival angel paused and tried again, “When that happens they –“

“-Fall.”

A frown turned WooYoung’s lips, and he pushed books aside until he was able to look through to the other side. “Jungkook, what have I told you about listening in on consultations?” he huffed. “Honestly, there is a reason you work up here. You couldn’t handle the main floor with those itching ears of yours.”

The face of a rather young looking angel appeared between the books, making Daesung smile a little. Jungkook, with his pout and big eyes, looked entirely put out. “WooYoung, I shouldn’t even be in the archives period,” he protested. “I should’ve been a seraphim. I would’ve been the best at it!”

WooYoung snorted. “You, baby angel, need to learn that angelic assignments are not given out at random. For whatever reason, it was decided that you were meant to be an archival angel – regardless of what you think you might be better suited to. Now, you come over here instead of lurking on the other side of the shelves like some sort of stalker.”

Jungkook disappeared from view even as the sound of scrambling footsteps broke the muffled silence of the restricted section. When he came around the corner, though, the young angel stopped short with a gasp. “You’re Kang Daesung,” he breathed, looking for all the world like a teenage girl who had just clapped eyes on her bias. “Oh my – you’re the newest seraphim general. Kang Daesung. The one who defeated the demon Seungri, who lead the charge into Hell to rescue Youngbae, and bearer of the silver wings.”

Daesung blinked very, very slowly. “Um, yes?”

Beside him, WooYoung heaved a heavy sigh. “Jungkook. What have I told you?”

The younger angel took a steadying breath. “About which thing?” WooYoung stared him down. “Oh, right. Um, you’ve told me to not be a ridiculous fanboy who knows way too much about the angels who come to visit and loses his cool when they’re around because I can’t help being so excited that they’re here… Is that the thing you meant?”

“Yes, that is the thing I meant,” WooYoung drawled.

“It’s alright,” Daesung cut in. “I don’t mind.”

Both archival angels turned to give him a look. “You don’t?” they even managed to ask together.

Daesung laughed and shook his head. “I don’t. It just surprised me a little. But, I mean, it’s nice to be recognized.” He shrugged shyly. “It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook.” He held his hand out to the younger angel, who hesitantly took it – bowing and sputtering as they shook hands. “Do you know a lot about Fallen?”

Jungkook hesitated. “Well, I’ve spent a lot of time up here, so I’ve done some reading,” he admitted, “and maybe some of it was about the Fallen?”

WooYoung gave the young angel a flat look. “Okay, so I totally read everything we have on the Fallen. They’re interesting, alright?” He glanced at the books in WooYoung’s arms. “But you don’t want those. Those are boring. You said you were looking for information about N, Tao, Suzy, Bom, Junhyung, and Kibum, right?”

If looks could set paper on fire, Jungkook would have no wings; WooYoung was glaring up a storm. “Jungkook, you should be flogged for eavesdropping like that!”

A sheepish little smile flittered across the younger angel’s lips before he moved further down the bookcase. “Um, the books you’ll want actually detail how the Fallen did their thing, you know? Like Tao, he is the only angel to have ever fallen before being assigned a rank. It started this crazy trend because everyone thought he was so suave, so a bunch of angels fell just to try to be cool like him. But then he totally ignored them, because he didn’t fall just to show how tough he was.” Fluttering up to the top of the shelf, Jungkook pulled down four heavy books. “It wasn’t until Junhyung fell in the eighteen hundreds that Tao kept company with anyone, and even then those two have never been really close. In fact, it wasn’t really until Kibum fell that their little unit became much of a thing.” Landing on the floor, he held the books out to Daesung. “The angel historians are really thorough, so that kind of stuff is in here. It’s even got the speeches each of them gave when they officially fell – you know, stating their complaints and everything. Maybe it would help.”

Daesung and WooYoung stared blankly at the baby angel.

“What?” Jungkook blinked.

“And you wonder why you’re an archival angel?” Daesung laughed. “Thank you, Jungkook. It sounds like these will be really helpful.” Taking the books, he bowed a little. Jungkook became flustered all over again and bowed deeply to the general. “I don’t suppose I can just check these out, can I?”

The senior archival angel snorted. “What do you think, Daesung?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel somewhat obligated to post a warning that this fic will update slowly. It's harder for me to write, because the cast is big and there are a lot of heavy themes that will appear in it. So, don't give up hope! I will finish it; it just might take me a while. If you are enjoying this universe, let me know! I'd love to hear from you.

**Author's Note:**

> Well...that's a thing. -slow nod- I'm not overly confident in this chapter, but I had to keep reminding myself that stories start slow. If I hit you with too much awesomeness right away, I'd have nowhere to go, right? ... Something like that. Anyway, in the next chapter you'll actually get to meet our crazy little Fallen crew. They're super exciting. Also, a note on the names. I am going with the names I feel will be most widely recognizable by as many readers as possible - hence the use of "Suho." This is honestly just for clarity's sake. I'm also going to be stealing people from pretty much all the fandoms, so brace yourself for that. 
> 
> Hopefully you guys will stick around for the next chapter. Thank you for reading. <3


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